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If one's opinion matters and he is influential, for example inside a company, we say that he has "something" within the company. I am sure there's a word for "something", but can't think of it right now.

This person I am trying to describe is not a leader, however he is very influential, e.g. he has been an old and respected member of a group, his opinion carries a lot of weight.

The word I'm looking for is not used very often

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  • 4
    That would be influential.
    – user63230
    Commented Jan 14, 2015 at 0:04

6 Answers 6

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clout

[MASS NOUN] informal Influence or power, especially in politics or business:

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  • yes! That was exactly what I was thinking of but couldn't express! Thank you.
    – George
    Commented Jan 14, 2015 at 0:00
  • +1, Bang on. Clout-a sense of power or influence
    – Misti
    Commented Jan 14, 2015 at 13:30
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He's a person of stature / standing within the company.

influence noun

synonyms: . . . status . . . power, authority, sway, leverage, weight, standing, prestige, stature, rank, ranking, position, social position, station, connections, contacts;

[The dictionary at Google]

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You might be thinking of gravitas

I'll just take a moment to recommend Iain M Banks' scifi novels and note his long-running joke on spaceships' names that use and abuse "gravitas".

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You can say he shows "leadership".

  • leadership - "the power or ability to lead other people" MW

"He showed strong leadership. That's why he was promoted."

  • lead - (verb) -"to direct on a course or in a direction"
  • leader - (noun) "one who has influence or power" - The Free Dictionary

Edit - As you have edited saying you don't mean someone who leads, but somenone who is experienced, influent, and whose opinion carries a lot of weight, I think you mean "a management guru".

  • guru - "a person who has a lot of experience in or knowledge about a particular subject". MW

  • An influential teacher or popular expert: ‘a management guru’ Oxford Dictionary Online

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  • that's a good suggestion, however the person I am trying to describe is not a leader - just is very influential, e.g. he has been an old and respected member of the group, his opinion carries a lot of weight. He doesn't necessarily lead.
    – George
    Commented Jan 13, 2015 at 23:45
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that might be Elite

A group or class of people seen as having the most power and influence in a society, especially on account of their wealth or privilege - Oxford dictionary

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A good noun for a prominent or influential person in a particular group is "doyen".

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doyen

Keep in mind that this word carries implications of knowledge, experience and expertise, and is usually used in more intellectual contexts, e.g. fields of study.

The answer you accepted ("clout") does not necessarily imply these things, but is applicable to a wider variety of settings. For example, I would refer to a tough and highly-influential manager as having a lot of clout in a company, but I wouldn't call him the doyen of the company.

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  • Doyen is evocative of a man who is "the senior member" of a group.
    – Misti
    Commented Jan 14, 2015 at 13:34

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